If you remember the old dive bar that once lived where Sous Terre now exists, forget everything you know. Crawford Hospitality—chef Scott Crawford’s hospitality group that now includes Crawford and Son, Jolie, Brodeto, Crawford Brothers Steakhouse—has transformed it into a subterranean lounge with warm oak, leathered stone, and just the right amount of moody lighting.

”We’re known for our cocktail programs — especially at Crawford & Son,” says Joseph, “In our restaurants, we keep the focus on cocktails that pair with our food. Now, with a dedicated cocktail bar, we’re able to take our experimentation so much further because there are no limits. We’re starting with some of my personal favorite classics, but we’ll be evolving daily to include originals from our team. Our goal is to make the best version of each of these. And that means taking every aspect of the cocktail seriously — from specific glassware, to hand-cut ice and controlling the temperature of every single ingredient that goes into a cocktail; temperature makes such a difference to the mouthfeel. We’ll also have a library of vintage spirits to sip — from Chartreuse and amaro to pre-Prohibition whiskey.”

When he left his restaurants each day, he kept his mind busy imagining what other concepts he might launch. Serendipitously, his phone began to ring as talented service industry professionals who worked for some of the top hospitality companies in the country realized they could move to a market like Raleigh for a lifestyle change.

Between the concepts that Crawford spent his evenings drawing up, the talent that his team was adding, and the pandemic receding with the rollout of vaccinations, the Crawford Hospitality team was ready to make those dreams a reality.

Sous Terre, which means “underground” in French, transformed the former Atlantic Lounge, the bar founded by Cardinal owner Jason Howard. Crawford said he had been exploring spaces throughout Raleigh for a cocktail bar and one day Howard called and offered to sell his. “Sous Terre is born out of a curiosity that (beverage director) Jordan Joseph and I had for creating an intimate cocktail bar in Raleigh,” Crawford said. “We looked at spaces all over the city….Our idea was to create a space that would be warm, intimate and focus on classic cocktails.”

Sous Terre, Scott Crawford’s re-imagining of the former Atlantic Lounge speakeasy in the Oakwood neighborhood, is now open after a significant renovation.

Why it matters: Crawford, one of Raleigh’s most prominent chefs, had searched for years for the right place to open a bar, Crawford Hospitality’s beverage director Jordan Joseph tells Axios.

But it wasn’t until the members-only Atlantic Lounge — located under Crawford’s French bistro Jolie — put itself up for sale late last year that he found a space suitable for the idea.

Compared to Crawford’s other three upcoming restaurants, which occupy spaces in large complexes, Sous Terre will be a breeze to get ready, Crawford says. The bones of the bar are already there. And the location is homey to the point where it might as well be called Crawford Corner: the door to Sous Terre is located inside Jolie, and Jolie is adjacent to Crawford & Son. “We don’t have any waiting space in Crawford & Son or Jolie,” Crawford says. “Sometimes, when people are waiting, it’s on us: they have a reservation, they’re there on time, but maybe the guests at their table haven’t left yet. So for a while now, we’ve been offering them a drink downstairs, or next door at Willco, which is another great bar. We have great bars around us,” he says. “But now we’ll own one.”

One of Raleigh’s favorite underground bars will soon be run by one of its favorite chefs.

Driving the news: Acclaimed chef Scott Crawford said Friday he is taking over the members-only Atlantic Lounge in the Oakwood neighborhood and turning it into a new concept called Sous Terre.

Sous terre is French for underground. The bar is located in the basement of Crawford’s French restaurant Jolie.
Details: Crawford takes over the Atlantic Lounge’s lease on Jan. 1 and will redesign it before opening Sous Terre.

Jordan Joseph, the beverage director of Crawford Hospitality, will lead the bar. He has been at Crawford’s flagship restaurant, Crawford & Son, for four years. “We love the intimacy of this space and look forward to creating an inviting and welcoming setting for cocktails,” said Crawford in a news release. “We hope Sous Terre will be a thoughtful addition to the neighborhood, to our hospitality brand, and serve as a showcase for Jordan Joseph’s cocktails and the area’s most exciting bar talent.”

Sous Terre, which is French for “underground,” is the fourth concept for Crawford Hospitality. It will be located in the current Atlantic Lounge location at 620 North Person St. “We’re excited this opportunity presented itself; it’s a beautiful way for us to continue to share our hospitality with the Oakwood neighborhood, Raleigh community, and our restaurant guests,” Crawford said. “We hope Sous Terre will be a thoughtful addition to the neighborhood, to our hospitality brand, and serve as a showcase for Jordan Joseph’s cocktails and the area’s most exciting bar talent.”